432 
spective trades. On producing a certifi- 
.eate from the commissary of police, their 
work is duly paid for, according to the 
estimate of the architect uf the city. 
If the danger be-such that the people 
employed ave likely to receive bodily in- 
Juries, the presence even of the next phy- 
sicians and surgeons is demanded, in. or- 
der- to afford speedy assistance to any 
person who may have been hurt. 
All expeuces incurred on account of 
any conflagration, are discharged by the 
eity with scrupulous exactness ; and 
every refusal to obey aay requisition 
made in times of danger from fire, mects 
with rigorous punishment. 
Formerly, the inhabitants of the houses 
or apartments where the fire originated, | 
were hable to a cconsiderable fine; ne 
this practice is now abolished, as "such, 
persons, for the purpose of evading the 
fine, were apt to conceal the danger, and 
attempt themselves to extinguish the fire, 
mr consequence of which the firemen 
were not called tll the ungovernable 
flames gave the neighbours warning of 
their danger; whereas the firemen, if 
ealled immediately, might have succeed- 
ed in suppressing its erowth. At pre- 
sent, the conipussary of police is simply 
directed to enquire into the cause of the 
ecnflagration, and make his report ac- 
cordingly ; . but if, in the course of his in- 
guiry, he discover premeditated inalice, 
the incendiary is, very properly, called 
to account for it. Extraordinary negli- 
gence is likewise punished: af, therefore, 
a chimney catch fire in consequence of 
being very foul, the person to whose 
room it belongs cannot escape bemg 
fined. 
The fire-engincs now-in use are fitted 
on fuur-wheeied carriages, and resemble 
one another exactly, even with respect to 
the leathers, pipes, and screws. This js 
done with a view of enabling the men to 
supply any defect which may arise during 
their work: In te e space of- one hour, 
they discharge 400 buckets, or twenty 
tons of water, propelling the “fluid to the 
lieight of one wundred feet. At the tak- 
ing of the Bastille, a man, standing on an 
eminence of forty fee t, was fo! ced, or ra- 
ther shot, down by them into the flames 
The water-buckets, wheels, c carriages, 
pipes, screws, valves, cisterns, and pis- 
tons, areas yet manufactured by their 
Tespective w orkmen; but the making of 
these articles will, in fature, constitut e 
part of the employment of the firemen 
themselves. 
There are now three-and-twenty en- 
Account of the Company of Firemen at Paris. 
[June I, 
gine-houses in Paris, each containing 
two engines,. together with two or three 
capacious tubs, “which are always kept 
full of water, and placed upon carriages, 
The latter are calculated for two hors ses, 
and stand in constant readiness, A fixed 
number of firemen is appointed to live 
near these repositories, and directed ne- 
ver to go out to work but when fire 
breaks out in their own district. 
Beside the usital fire-engines, there are 
also some forcing-pumps, placed on 
boats, and stationed in the river Seibe. 
Their utility a is at present more circum- 
scribed than formerly, when the sides of 
the river were crowded with houses. 
The fire-buckets are made of wicker- 
work, lined with leather. They are of 
very y long standing, and even now thought 
to be of a quality far beyond that of the 
sceaux de toile impermeables d’ Esquine- 
mare; the latter having, on repeated tri- 
als, proved less water-tight than the 
former. 
In every quarter of Paris, and even on 
the Boulevard, ail around the city, there 
are posts containing water-pipes, which 
are intended for the watering and clean- 
ing of streets, bridges, public gardens 
and walks, in hot dry summer days, 
as well as for the immediate supply of the 
tubs, when emptied of their former con- 
tents. In cases of emergency, the re- 
gurds,* contrived in every street, are 
opened, and the leather hose, designed 
to convey the water into the tubs or en- 
gins, screwed on them. 
The leather pipe of every engine is 816 
feet long, but, by means of several 
screws, it may be shortened at pleasure 
an eighth, fourth, third, &c. as necessity 
may require it. 
Most of the firemen now employed are 
skilful and courageous men, who are im- 
debted for their expertness In extinguish- 
ing the most alarming fires to the excel- 
lence of the regulations which we have 
stated, and still more to long practice, 
Their intrepidity 1s far superior to that of 
tilers and brick! ayers, who, though ee 
quently mounting the tops of the highes 
houses, have yet been fotmd to be of li. 
tle use in the extinction of fires; for, af- 
fected beyond meafure by the uncom= 
mon sight of flames; th ireatening them on 
* Apertures which are purposely left open 
by the workmen on laying the water- pipes, 
with a view to their occasional examination. 
They have eae, no other covering than 
strony pieces of timber, formed into a square, 
a SiaD; Oi GA iron ; plate. 
every 
